How transport policies have been influenced by transport externalities' studies? a comparison study between Portugal and Poland

Abstract

Transport externalities are an important issue concerning both academic researchers and policy makers. One of the strategic goals of the EU Transport policy, as stated in the Transport White Paper “Roadmap to a Single European Transport area – Towards a competitive and resource efficient transport system”, is to reduce 60% of GHG from transport until 2050 (reduction of emissions by 80–95 % below 1990 levels). Within this context, the full application of the user pays/polluter pays principles is required. Local externalities such as noise, air pollution and congestion are envisaged to be internalised through charging for the use of transport infrastructures. Environmental externalities such as traffic noise, local pollution and GHG emissions, along with congestion and the external cost of accidents are key contributors to transport inefficiency. Other externalities may play a role such as biodiversity impacts or changes in landscape-and land use. This paper was developed from a comprehensive literature review of transport externalities’ related research comprising European funded research projects, national projects and scientific papers, as part of the COST-TREND project funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology. It aims to investigate the impact of those studies on transport policies in two countries, having a comparison study of Portugal and Poland. The analysis focused on past and existing policy trends and how monetized unitary value estimates had been used by transport policy makers. Examples include the cost-benefit analysis (CBA) of transport investments and the setting of road charges and pricing policies. The study methodology also include a survey applied to selected transport authorities in Poland and Portugal which will provide useful insights for current applications and helped to identify main barriers and still remaining gaps.

Expected results will demonstrate what approaches and values of environmental externalities are currently utilized in transport policies for the case of Poland and Portugal, and what remains as emerging theoretical and practical challenges towards the full internalisation of local externalities.